Top 35 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers: No. 33, Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip completed a full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule of races for the final time as he plans to scale back his driving role in 2010. // Mark Sluder, NASCAR Scene
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Michael Waltrip completed his final NASCAR Sprint Cup season as a full-time driver on a down note, but his Michael Waltrip Racing organization appears to be on the upswing.
MWR’s David Reutimann won the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 and finished 16th in the points standings. And JTG-Daugherty Racing’s Marcos Ambrose, driving cars prepared by MWR, finished 18th in the points.
And with the addition of proven Cup winner Martin Truex Jr., MWR could be poised for a solid season in 2010.
During the offseason, SceneDaily is taking a look at the top 35 in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Here’s how Waltrip’s season unfolded:
By the numbers: Waltrip competed in 34 of the 36 races, stepping out of the No. 55 for the Infineon and Watkins Glen road courses. Waltrip posted only two top-10 finishes – both seventh-place finishes – in the season-opener at Daytona and in the second race at Talladega. He also dropped out of six races.
Season highlights: Waltrip started the 2009 season with a solid seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500. Waltrip said his team “might have overachieved a little bit” in the 500, as he started 27th with a backup car. Waltrip’s other seventh came at Talladega late in the year, when he snaked through the late-race crashes for a top-10 finish.
Key setbacks: In a 17-race stretch through the middle of the season, Waltrip failed to finish in six races and was 30th or worse 12 times.
Newsworthy moment: The team announced July 7 that Waltrip will step back to a limited schedule in 2010, with Martin Truex Jr. joining MWR full time with sponsorship from NAPA. Pat Tryson will serve as crew chief for Truex’s No. 56 Toyota, coming to the team from Penske Racing. Waltrip will continue to drive the No. 55 next year, though on a part-time basis.
In his words: “MWR had a lot of good news to announce at Phoenix. NAPA was certainly instrumental in what happened since they are the cornerstone sponsor of my organization. Best Western announced its extension with us through 2010. Toyota also signed an extension with MWR to continue the support of our cars for multiple years. I want to thank NAPA for signing the extension earlier this season and getting Martin Truex Jr. It was really big for our young company. It helped us grow with the addition of Tums and extend our partnerships. I am really thankful to NAPA and I look forward to more great things to come.”
